Looking for input... GTX 970

[Moonunit707]

So I have decided to upgrade my EVGA GTX 660 ti to a GTX 970. The trouble i'm having is indecision. I cannot figure out which brand I want to go with. I'm stuck deciding between the:

 

ASUS STRIX 970 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121899&cm_re=asus_strix_970-_-14-121-899-_-Product

 

MSI 970 Gaming 100ME http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127850&cm_re=970_gaming_100me-_-14-127-850-_-Product

 

EVGA 970 FTW ACX 2.0 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814487077&cm_re=EVGA_970-_-14-487-077-_-Product

 

I know they will all perform well, with the EVGA likely having the slightly better binning process. Aesthetically the MSI card looks best with the EVGA card in 2nd. I just cannot decide which cooler will perform best. I just don't want to make a decision and regret it and wish I had gone with a different card. I trust you guys here and I hope that hearing what anyone has to say can help nudge me in a direction i will be happy with. I know this is a personal choice, but sometimes it's difficult when all three choices are good ones.

[RevoltTrain]

Any reason you aren't looking at the R9 290?

[Guest]

Why not the Gigabyte G1?

[Prastupok]

So I have decided to upgrade my EVGA GTX 660 ti to a GTX 970. The trouble i'm having is indecision. I cannot figure out which brand I want to go with. I'm stuck deciding between the:

ASUS STRIX 970 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121899&cm_re=asus_strix_970-_-14-121-899-_-Product

MSI 970 Gaming 100ME http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127850&cm_re=970_gaming_100me-_-14-127-850-_-Product

EVGA 970 FTW ACX 2.0 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814487077&cm_re=EVGA_970-_-14-487-077-_-Product

I know they will all perform well, with the EVGA likely having the slightly better binning process. Aesthetically the MSI card looks best with the EVGA card in 2nd. I just cannot decide which cooler will perform best. I just don't want to make a decision and regret it and wish I had gone with a different card. I trust you guys here and I hope that hearing what anyone has to say can help nudge me in a direction i will be happy with. I know this is a personal choice, but sometimes it's difficult when all three choices are good ones.

Unless you're planning on overclocking the card, any of the options will perform just fine. The binning process is what makes the 970 a 970 in the first place. Go with what one you like, although I've heard excellent results with the STRIX cards cooler. Just my opinion on the matter.

Although you could save money and go for a little less performance but a LOT lower price with an AMD R9 290x, as stated above.

[Si3Rra_7]

The most overclockable : gigabyte g1

The most silent : Asus ( MSI similar )

[Guest Kloaked]

I'd go for the Gigabyte G1, personally. I know you don't have it listed, but I just tested one in the system I have here and oh my lord am I jealous I don't actually own one. The thing is super quiet, stayed around 60C under full load and performed exceptionally well.

 

 

Any reason you aren't looking at the R9 290?

 

Oh I don't know, maybe because OP wants a 970?

[RevoltTrain]

Oh I don't know, maybe because OP wants a 970?

I'm just trying to help them get the best performance for their money, and a full 4GB of VRAM

[Kinda Bottlenecked]

If you're only gonna be playing on 1080p for a few years the msi card gets my vote :B

 

Otherwise I'd suggest you look at other cards 

[Guest Kloaked]

I'm just trying to help them get the best performance for their money

 

That's cool, but OP already settled on a 970 model, from the looks.

 

and a full 4GB of VRAM

 

Give that shit a rest will ya'?

[Albatross]

I hear great things of the Gigabyte G1! Best cooler, best OC'er and the like. So I say that or the MSI one.

[Prastupok]

Give that shit a rest will ya'?

Agreed.

The whole "it only has 3.5GB" thing is so old. It's a stupid, inaccurate thing to say. In fact, the whole 970 "issue" is old. Everyone should let it go at this point, nothing is changing, so arguing about it and being asshats to one another is just infuriating to see. It's a good card. End of story.

[Moonunit707]

•I'm only looking at the 970, no interest in AMD. I've been fine with 3GB VRAM, 3.5 will be an upgrade

•I AM interested in the Gigabyte G1 as well, don't know why I forgot to link it.

•I'm not too worried with the noise, but rather the overall temps with the cooler.

[Prastupok]

•I'm only looking at the 970, no interest in AMD. I've been fine with 3GB VRAM, 3.5 will be an upgrade

•I AM interested in the Gigabyte G1 as well, don't know why I forgot to link it.

•I'm not too worried with the noise, but rather the overall temps with the cooler.

Did you not read my post above...

The 970 has 4GB of vram... NOT 3.5GB.

[eelnico09]

I'm just trying to help them get the best performance for their money, and a full 4GB of VRAM

Will you do 3.5 + 0.5 for me?

 

Jeez, look what AMD did, all amd did was spread ignorance, now we see this kind of shit. Get over it.

 

-----------------------------

 

I got the msi with the tiger because there was no stock, but i'm in love with the STRIX

[Moonunit707]

Did you not read my post above...

The 970 has 4GB of vram... NOT 3.5GB.

The comment about being fine with 3.5GB was a snide remark. I know it has 4096MB VRAM.

[Shaqo_Wyn]

Agreed.

The whole "it only has 3.5GB" thing is so old. It's a stupid, inaccurate thing to say. In fact, the whole 970 "issue" is old. Everyone should let it go at this point, nothing is changing, so arguing about it and being asshats to one another is just infuriating to see. It's a good card. End of story.

 

True, it's old and people need to let it go. However, the final conclusion seems to be nVidia screwed us over, we're going to accept it, let it go and keep buying 970's.

 

That's what's leaving me a bit restless.  

[Shaqo_Wyn]

*snip*

 

I'm for the EVGA 970 FTW ACX 2.0. It's just as quiet as the other's but people don't know that because it's less popular and they're just regurgitating what other's have said on this forum..

 

Performance wise, it comes with a heavy factory overclock and you can push very close to G1 OC's.

[KayTees]

Go for the 970, if you feel like you need more horse power go for maybe another 970. If you wanna spend more money and still won't give over to AMD, go for a 980 if you really want all the VRAM to be proper.

 

 

I'm just trying to help them get the best performance for their money, and a full 4GB of VRAM

There is 4GB Ram. The last 0.5GB of it is *slower*. If your not going over 1080p, the 970 is a great card. We all are trying to get him the bang for his buck but going out of context and recommending a 290X when he already locked his eyes on those 3 won't really help him.

[Prastupok]

Go for the 970, if you feel like you need more horse power go for maybe another 970. If you wanna spend more money and still won't give over to AMD, go for a 980 if you really want all the VRAM to be proper.

 

 

There is 4GB Ram. The last 0.5GB of it is *slower*. If your not going over 1080p, the 970 is a great card.

The "issue" in a nutshell.

Bandwidth was affected.

Capacity was not.

And even above 1080p, plenty of games run great on it. There's a guy on here with 2x 970s in SLI that games in 4K easily.

[KayTees]

The "issue" in a nutshell.

Bandwidth was affected.

Capacity was not.

And even above 1080p, plenty of games run great on it. There's a guy on here with 2x 970s in SLI that games in 4K easily.

Yep 100% agree. I have the 970s in SLI and but yet I only run games at 1080p

[grimmjow660]

I'd get the Asus.

[Moonunit707]

So I went with the Gigabyte G1 Gaming 970. It was that or the EVGA FTW 970, the fact that the G1 has a backplate was one of the deciding factors. Thanks for all the input, even from the AMD guys.